Breast-feeding promotion interventions: Good public health and economic sense

Abstract

The health benefits of breast-feeding are well documented, as are the positive effects of breast-feeding promotion interventions. There is a clear dose-response relationship between breast-feeding and infant health in the first year of life, and beyond. Further, nearly all breast-feeding promotion interventions improve - at least minimally - breast-feeding initiation and duration rates. However, the extent to which the costs of such interventions might be offset by the potential health care cost savings during the infant's first year of life has not been examined. From a health policy perspective, such an economic analysis is indicated.